Monday Mix-tape - 31.12.2012

And so, here we are. The final Monday Mix-tape of 2012. It's been quite a year in general, what with that sporting event in London, a non-existent Apocalypse, crazy American gun nutters, continuing unrest in the Arab nations and other stuff.

To go alongside all that, I have tried to guide you all through a musical minefield of what you should be listening to using themes ranging from TV theme songs to stuff I listened to on holiday in Austria. Hopefully you've taken some of it on board and your music collection is suitably enriched.

For this last edition of 2012, I'm going to look forward to 2013. I am featuring two artists who will hopefully be releasing a full album of material into the world, one who I've been enjoying for a while, and one I discovered as recently as the 22nd December this year. I shall leave it to you to work out which is which...

1) Jesus Won't Dance In My High Heels - Four Dead In Ohio
It's got a guitar riff to die for!

2) Utah - Four Dead In Ohio
A real slow burner!

3) Debbie's Whiskey Bar - Four Dead In Ohio
From their most recent EP release!

4) UFO - Four Dead In Ohio
No aliens, promise!

5) Peasants Prayer - Four Dead In Ohio
No mention of food or running water, or anything like that!

6) Emma - The Hummingbirds
Best use of a whistling for a long time!

7) Back In Liverpool - The Hummingbirds
Why would you want to leave?!

8) Break Your Heart - The Hummingbirds
Title track from latest EP!

9) Bankrupt Blues - The Hummingbirds
Bills need to be paid!

10) You - The Hummingbirds
Just go and buy the EPs!


Two different bands, two different sounds, but two bands well worth a listen folks!

Happy New Year from Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 24.12.2012

So, well, bloody hell. It's really Christmas. After all that anticipation and hassle over what to ask Santa Claus to bring you (wink, wink), in two sleeps time, he'll have been and left you a pile of gifts under your tree, drunk your brandy and eaten your mince pie. And left you with the difficult question to answer: "How did Santa come down the chimney when we've got a Gas fire, Mummy/Daddy?"

So, while you try and come up with ways to get out of that one, here's my Mix-tape list of ten festive tracks that simply have to be played at this time of year...

1) Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade
It's Chriiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaass!

2) I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day - Wizzard
Highly impractical!!

3) Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) - The Darkness
The best festive tune of recent times!

4) Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
A cheery old singalong - as all festive tunes ought to be!

5) Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko
Combining a message of peace with Christmas!

6) Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Not particularly a Christmas song!

7) Lonely This Christmas - Mud
More Seventies Christmas schmalz!

8) Must Be Santa - Bob Dylan
An unlikely source for a Christmas tune!

9) Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
Ba-rum-pum-pum-pum!

10) Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
The King does Christmas!

A Short Message From Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls

So, on the day the world DIDN'T end, and a second American nutter with a gun took innocent lives exactly one week after the Newtown events, I would just like to say:

Americans, you are being let down by a minority of knobheads.

The National Rifle Association seem to me to be nothing more than a bunch of people too stupid to understand one simple fact of life - GUNS KILL. They have no other purpose than to end the life of whatever they are pointed at, be it bears, birds, or sadly, humans.

Do you really need to own a gun?! Really? I understand that there is a need to defend yourself, but hey, here's a thought for Barack and his buddies. If you stop people having a constitutional right to own a gun, then surely fewer people will have one. And to solve the problem of all those existing gun-owners, just hold a gun amnesty where for every five guns handed in, you get a free Big Mac Meal or something, you know, just to encourage them.

There were statistics banded about showing the number of gun-related deaths, and naturally, the US were miles ahead of places like the UK, Australia and France. I'd imagine things would look a little different if Mexico and Colombia were included, but that's not the point here!

I'm a parent of young children, and there are millions of parents of young children in the US and all over the world. And I would think we all have one thing in common: none of us ever want to be told our young ones have been murdered by a lunatic wielding a gun whilst at school. Nor do we want to have to comfort them having seen many of their friends and teachers murdered by the same lunatic.

So. Get. Rid. Of. The. Guns.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Monday Mix-tape - 17.12.2012

Yes, I'm back again. This is the last Monday Mix-tape before the mayhem of Christmas really begins. Unless you're one of those who leaves your shopping until the last minute, I'd expect you've done it all, wrapped it up and found a suitable hiding place somewhere in the house (but be warned: they will be looking at every opportunity!)

So, in this lull, I'm going to give you ten tracks to relax with. You can just sit and listen with a relaxing coffee, or glass of wine and a mince pie. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin...

1) Small World - Roddy Frame
One man and his guitar!

2) Calico Skies - Paul McCartney
An ex-Beatle and a guitar!

3) Tangerine - Led Zeppelin
Four men but no fruit!

4) Crystal - Mando Diao
Some Swedish men yet no cut glass in sight!

5) Drop In The Sea - Kula Shaker
Nineties band without a drop of water for miles!

6) Easy Like Sunday Morning - The Commodores
Simples!

7) How Does It Feel - Slade
Four hairy blokes from the Black Country!

8) I Got The Blues - The Rolling Stones
Don't feel too sad though!

9) Karma Police - Radiohead
Don't panic, not the real police!

10) Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
One man's voice!

And also, just as a tribute to the legendary Ravi Shankar, here's three pieces of his music to listen to and let all your troubles and tension drift away on the music...

a) Raga Ahir Bhairav
b) Dadra
c) Maru-Bihag

So that's all for now... the next edition will be a most festive offering for you to enjoy!!!

Monday Mix-tape - 10.12.2012

You'd think that after seven months, I'd start to run out of ideas for these little things, wouldn't you? But thankfully things just keep cropping up to help me maintain a steady flow of mix-tape helpings.

And this week is no different - my poor girlfriend is currently laid up with a bad case of Sciatica and so, this week, in her honour, it's songs with the word 'back' in the title!

1) I Want You Back - The Jackson 5

2) I'll Be Back - The Beatles

3) Coming Back Hard Again - The Fat Boys

4) Back In The USSR - The Beatles

5) The Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy

6) Back To Life - Soul II Soul

7) Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-a-lot

8) Back Against The Wall - Cage The Elephant

9) Sing It Back - Moloko

10) Don't Look Back In Anger - Oasis

And with that, I say "Get Well Soon" Marisa!!

Albums You Should Own - John Lennon Special

It's been a while since I last visited this series, and today I said to myself, 'it's time to do another one'.

For those who don't know (either through ignorance or a lack of interest in anything historical), today, the 8th December marks 32 years since the murder of John Lennon, possibly the 20th Century's most influential and most loved musician/peacenik/artist/writer.

So, to mark this occasion, instead of a Monday Mix-tape (which I already did to mark what would have been his 72nd birthday), I thought I'd have a look at his solo career and try and guide you to the gems, and steer you away from the duds (even as a devoted Lennonite, I can see that he has had some bad days).

So, to start off, when John and the Beatles went their seperate ways after the recording of Abbey Road, whilst the court case to dissolve the business partnership rumbled on, John did his thing with Yoko, did a bit of Primal Therapy with Mr Janov and brought out the Plastic Ono Band album. It's hard to find a weak link on this album, to be honest. From the opening funereal bells of 'Mother' the bar is set high (no change there) and it is only surpassed, in my view, by 'Working Class Hero' and 'God'. But that's not to say that the delicateness of 'Love' or 'Isolation' do not merit praise. I heartily implore you to go out and get this record!

After that, came the album that may have ensured his place amongst the greatest musicians of the modern era, Imagine. Everyone knows the title track and how good it is, so for me to preach a sermon is unneccessary. The album itself contains some real crackers, 'Crippled Inside', 'Jealous Guy', 'Gimme Some Truth', 'Oh My Love' and so on and so on. To sum up, I have three words for you on Imagine: BUY THIS ALBUM.

On the completion of Imagine, John decided to up-sticks and move to the US. And then, in 1972, he brought us his highly politicised (comparitively speaking) Some Time In New York City. I do have this album, somewhere, but sadly it doesn't really strike a chord with me and it's only really for the complete devotee fan. It does contain the track 'Woman Is The Nigger Of The World', which is well worth a listen.

He returned to more palatable output the next year, with his Mind Games album. There are some great tracks on this album, aside from the title track, 'Tight A$' is a fast paced little rocker, 'Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)' may have a ridiculous title, but it's a nice little sing-a-long once you know the words! This is followed by the silence of the 'Nutopian International Anthem' before heading on to the second side (remember when you had to get up and turn a record over? Something today's kids have no appreciation for). 'Out The Blue' is a sweet little song, and it's one I find has resonance in my life, and no doubt others will feel the same. It's worth investigating.

John's 'Lost Weekend' phase is quite well documented for all the drunken goings-on, but let's not forget he still managed to give us Mind Games and his next offering, Walls And Bridges. The lead single, 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night'  is bold, brassy and instantly loveable. You've also got songs like 'What You Got', '#9 Dream', and 'Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)' to keep you going, and the album finishes with a throwaway version of 'Ya Ya' which not only got him into a heap of legal trouble, but also inspired his next record. You should give it a try, you might just like it.

Which was the covers album, Rock And Roll. Songs that he liked as a boy, or that he enjoyed performing, or just took his fancy. Like Gene Vincent's 'Be Bop-A-Lula', or my favourite, his version of Ben E King's 'Stand By Me'. This album is a nice way to see what inspired Lennon himself to pick up a guitar, whilst also hearing John's own take on the songs. I've bought it, and I think you should consider it too!

It was at this point that John Lennon's life changed. Yoko finally gave birth to the child they'd been trying for for years, Sean Lennon was born on John's 35th birthday, and John hung up his guitar and decided that he would take responsibility for Sean's immediate upbringing. So, five years later, and John felt the time was right to hit the studio once more, thus giving us the joint effort with Yoko, Double Fantasy. Now, I'm not going to lie and say I can listen to this album all day, because to be honest, Yoko's tracks don't really do it for me. But when you realise that John's offerings include '(Just Like) Starting Over', 'I'm Losing You', 'Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)', 'Watching The Wheels' and 'Woman', there is only one decision to make: Buy the CD, or download an mp3 version.

This however, is where John's living input ended. His death brought to a sudden halt the burst of creativity John was enjoying, with enough rough cuts in the can for another album, and in 1984, four years after he was taken from the world, the release of Milk And Honey gave everyone the chance to hear John's last songs. The stand out tracks for me are 'I Don't Wanna Face It', 'Nobody Told Me', 'Borrowed Time', and the poignant and quite gutwrenching 'Grow Old With Me'. Another one for the completists.

Or, you can say to yourself, 'I can't be arsed spending all that money buying albums for songs I might not like'. In which case, the compilation Lennon Legend is for you! All the hits, along with singles such as 'Cold Turkey', the festive 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)', 'Give Peace A Chance', and 'Instant Karma!' (the exclamation mark is part of the title, I assure you!)

Well, I can say no more. Other than War Is Over. If you want it.

Monday Mix-tape - 03.12.2012

So, welcome to December! By now, there are already two doors open on your advent calendar (I bet you've got one with chocolate in haven't you? Course you have). Anyhow, this week, I'd completely forgotten about my weekly mix-tape offering until I was washing my son's hair this evening. I was at a total loss until my girlfriend suggested a theme. So here it is, this week's offering with the theme of... Family.

1) Mother - John Lennon
A little bit of Primal Therapy coming out!

2) Family Affair - Sly And The Family Stone
A Seventies Funk Family!

3) Father And Son - Cat Stevens
Not the ridiculous Boyzone version... Ughhhhh!

4) Brothers In Arms - Dire Straits
A song about brothers by a band with brothers in!

5) We Are Family - Sister Sledge
A Disco Family!

6) Uncle Sam - Madness
Lesser known track by UK Ska kings!

7) Mama Told Me (Not To Come) - Tom Jones
Mum knows best Tom!

8) Mama Weer All Crazee Now - Slade
I said 'mamamamamamamama yeah'!

9) Grandad - Clive Dunn
Everyone loves their Grandad!

10) He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies
Hopefully soon to be top of the pops again for Hillsborough Families!

And that is that, ten songs about families and the like. Feel free to enjoy and return next week!! Hey, maybe you could submit your own suggestions, just like my girlfriend did this week!